Nissan used the occasion of the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show to present its updated new 2019 Nissan Maxima sedan for an official show and tell. The Maxima gets styling updates, a more refined interior, revised tech and more safety features.
For Nissan, its recent experience with the Maxima varies depending on which side of the Canada-U.S. border you look at. Americans are still in like with the sedan, with the model being particular popular for use by car-rental companies. Overall, sales are still relatively healthy. In Canada, meanwhile, it’s a different story. The next few years will do much to determine the future of the Maxima, especially since the ongoing consumer stampede towards SUVs shows no sign of letting up.
That said, Dan Monhke, senior VP of sales and marketing for Nissan in the U.S., was adamant that the company remains committed to its sedans.
As for the Maxima, here’s what buyers can expect from its newest iteration. The details we were given at the Los Angeles premiere have to do with the versions that will be sold in the U.S. Nissan Canada says that the Canadian product offering will be very similar if not identical, but has made no official announcement as yet.
The look
Styling changes made to the 2019 Maxima come courtesy of the Nissan Design studio in La Jolla, near San Diego, California. They involve, for starters, a more imposing front grille and a bigger V-Motion signature that stretches from the hood to the rear lights via the car’s flanks. The LED headlights and the daytime running lights are more sculpted to give the car a more premium look.
In back, quad exhaust tips are blended into the rear bumper while a new, sporty spoiler is added to the SR version. The product offer includes a new colour, Sunset Drift.
The interior
The seats of the new Maxima benefit from a new design, and the SR and Platinum versions get a new colour option (charcoal grey) for the canopy and pillars. These reflect the overall shift Nissan has made for the interior its Maxima, towards creating a more premium environment.
Just as interesting, maybe more in fact, is the addition of an alert for the rear doors, which aims to remove the risk of children being forgotten in the car. This function is quickly becoming more widespread in new vehicles being brought to market.
The equipment
As for other features and functions, the 2019 Maxima will be offered with the Safety Shield 360 package, which includes a number of drive assist systems that are encompassed in the company’s Nissan Intelligent Mobility plan. This involves rethinking the very way cars are driven and are connected to their surrounding environment.
Notable features Maxima buyers will benefit from include emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot alert and rear transversal traffic alert, lane departure warning and automatic low/high beams.
The 2019 Nissan Maxima will be available at dealerships starting in January 2019.
